


Red and Green

by chellerrific



Category: Odin Sphere
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-28
Updated: 2017-05-28
Packaged: 2018-11-06 01:16:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11025528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chellerrific/pseuds/chellerrific
Summary: Ingway makes amends.





	Red and Green

**Author's Note:**

> This is sort of vaguely AU in that pretty much everything else canon happened except Armageddon. Title is a reference to [“Unfinished Business” by the band Chairlift](https://genius.com/Chairlift-unfinished-business-lyrics), which seemed relevant.

Ingway found them exactly where he expected them to be, sprawled on a blanket under a tree, half in shade and half in sunlight. It was warm and breezy, a perfect day. Velvet was leaning back against the tree, sliding through the pages of an old book as she read them aloud to Cornelius. He was snuggled in her lap, apparently dozing.

Ingway made a fist. _Snuggling._ With his sister. He nearly turned and left them to it, but Velvet spotted him first.

“Ingway!” she said, snapping the book shut and setting it aside. When she sat up, Cornelius was forced to a stir as well, rubbing his sleepy eyes with tiny fists.

Velvet had smiled to see him, but it slowly faded as she silently reconsidered. “What are you doing here?”

“Lower your hackles, sister dear. I didn’t come here to cause any trouble or harm,” he assured her.

“Stranger things have happened, I suppose,” she said.

“I deserve that,” he allowed. “Listen, I… came here to say that I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Velvet. Those words are a poor penance for what I’ve done, but nevertheless, they are what I have to give to you.”

Velvet watched him, not speaking, so he hurried on.

“And I’m also sorry to you, Cornelius.” He tried very hard not let his face pucker, but he couldn’t do anything about the sourness of the words. Still, he had to do this. “There’s something you should know.”

Cornelius pulled ever so slightly back against Velvet, whether for her protection or his Ingway couldn’t say. “What?”

“The Pooka’s curse,” Ingway said, suddenly finding great interest in a flower just to the left of Cornelius’s leg. “It’s true there’s only one way to break it. But… your curse isn’t the true Pooka’s curse.”

Cornelius’s eyes narrowed further. “What do you mean by that?”

“I’m saying I don’t… have that kind of power. The true Pooka’s curse belongs only to the people of Valentine present at the Cataclysm. The spell I cast on you is merely one of transmogrification. I wanted you to think it was the real thing so that you would lose hope and give up on Velvet. Obviously it… didn’t work.”

“Ingway!” Velvet cried, moving to stand.

Cornelius put his hands on her arms. “Be still, my love.” He turned back to Ingway. “So what does that mean?”

“It means that I can transform you back with another spell. It will take some time to prepare, but you can be human again in a matter of days.” He flicked his eyes up. “But on one condition.”

“I hardly think you have the right to ask anything of either of us at this point,” Velvet said icily.

“One condition,” Ingway repeated. “That is… that you take care of Velvet. Your primary duty is her happiness, forevermore.”

“I never intended anything different,” Cornelius said, steely-eyed with sincerity.

“Cornelius,” Velvet said softly, and her voice was so full of love that Ingway ached to hear it. It had always been the two of them, against the world, until this usurper came along. Cornelius didn’t deserve her. But then… neither did Ingway.

“I swear by my mother that I will be back to perform the spell as soon as I am ready. Take this.” From his cloak, he pulled a bottle filled with green-yellow liquid. “We shall need that when the time comes.”

Cornelius took the bottle, cradling it as if it were a child. “Ingway, I… is all this really true?”

“Yes,” Ingway said, only gritting his teeth slightly. “There is something else I should tell you. Your father, King Edmund, intends to abdicate. He wants you to return to take his place.”

“I’m not sure that I want to,” Cornelius said. “Being king has never really been my ambition.”

“Please,” Ingway said, in spite of himself. “Titania will descend into chaos, and there is no one else.” One more lie, Ingway told himself. A half-lie, really.

Cornelius was silent, and so it was Velvet who took his hand in hers and said, “We’ll discuss it.”

Slowly, Cornelius nodded.

“I think you should pay Ragnanival a visit soon,” Ingway added.

“I have less desire to see Father now than I ever have,” Velvet said.

“As do I. But Father is gone. After the Balor was destroyed, he went into hiding. He has far too many enemies and his position against them has weakened considerably. Make no mistake, he will return, but in the mean time, no one seems to know where he’s gone, and I’ve no intention of trying to find out.”

“So then—”

“His… our sister,” Ingway said with difficulty. “Gwendolyn. She’s queen now. They know you are coming. Both of you must go. I am not the only one with accounts to settle.”

“Gwendolyn saved my life once,” Cornelius said. “It would be my honor to pay my respects.”

“Yes,” Velvet said quietly. “It is past time.” She looked up at Ingway. “Anything else?”

“No,” Ingway said. “I will see you both again soon. And Velvet… I love you. You will always be my precious sister. I shall not interfere with your life again, unless Cornelius breaks his promise.” _Then I will break his neck,_ he decided not to add.

Velvet jostled Cornelius aside slightly as she got to her feet, wrapping her arms around Ingway. “I love you too. Please… please don’t ever leave me again. I want— _need_ you in my life. You’re my other half. And my heart is big enough for both of you.”

He pressed his face against her hair. “It is, and much bigger still. I will do my best not to disappoint you again.”

* * *

Ragnanival was his own next stop as well. He knew all the secret places and hidden passages, having made the journey in and out unseen many times before. It was a simple task to bypass the heavy security and head straight to the throne room.

When he got there, he was immediately pinned against the wall, a sharp blade at his throat. He looked into the eyes of the man who currently held his life in his hands and against his better judgment, Ingway laughed. “I see the rumors of the Shadow Knight remain ever true.”

“I no longer go by that name,” he said in a low voice, the kind that forced a person to listen closely.

“I come in peace, to see the queen,” Ingway said.

“Armed?”

“Surely you of all people know ’tis folly to go about without weapon. You can take it from me. I have no intention of using it in this room.”

“I would not give you the chance.”

“Of that, I have no doubt.”

“What do you want with Gwendolyn?” The blade pressed a little harder.

“Tell her that Velvet’s brother is here to see her,” he said.

“Oswald,” a voice called. “It’s all right. Let him through.”

And with that, the blade at his throat disappeared. Oswald, the erstwhile Shadow Knight, stepped back, but he did take Ingway’s dagger as well. That was fine. Oswald was clearly looking for any excuse to start stabbing and Ingway would rather not give it.

He approached the throne. He’d been here numerous times, but it looked like a completely different place devoid of Odin’s massive frame. Instead on the throne said a petite woman, silver hair long and loose and decorated with feathers. She regarded him with a keen, piercing gaze.

He dropped into a deep bow before her. “Queen Gwendolyn, it is my greatest honor.”

“Velvet’s brother,” Gwendolyn said, getting straight to the point.

Ingway stood. “Her twin, to be precise. And… your brother as well.”

Gwendolyn’s eyes widened. “Can this be true?”

“’Tis,” said Ingway. He removed his turban for her to better see his face. When they were very small people had a hard time telling Velvet and him apart, and even now they still favored each other greatly, right down to the color of their hair.

“B-brother,” Gwendolyn repeated.

“Ingway,” he clarified. “I’m sorry we have not been introduced before, but I’m sure you can imagine I had my reasons. I… wanted to make myself known to you, but amongst other things, I have the… tendency to cause trouble to those around me.” He decided not to mention mothers or curses or any of that. “But here I am now, your humble servant. Please, I would… like to get to know you, as a sibling.”

Gwendolyn was still speechless, then finally she came to her senses. “Are the any more?”

“I beg your pardon? ‘Any more’?”

“Did my— _our_ father have any more children?”

Again, Ingway couldn’t suppress a chuckle. “A fair question. But no, to the best of my knowledge, we three are the only lucky ones.”

“Four,” Gwendolyn corrected. “Griselda.”

Ingway grimaced. “Yes… my apologies. I never had the pleasure of her acquaintance but I knew of her. The world suffered a great loss that day.”

“Indeed,” Gwendolyn said, without emotion. Ingway recognized that flat affect. It came from being around Odin. Gwendolyn may have been a gentle soul, that much was clear, but there were certain things one got in the habit of keeping to oneself.

“But I do have news of other family,” Ingway went on.

Gwendolyn frowned. “I thought you said—”

“Not yours,” Ingway cut in gently. He turned to Oswald, standing by her side, half in shadow—if he wanted to shake his old epithet, he was doing a rotten job of it. “His.”

“I have no family,” Oswald said staunchly. “My only family was Melvin, and he’s dead.” He looked away, the rest of the tale left unspoken.

“Melvin was never your family,” Ingway said, surprising himself with the ferocity in his voice. “Family doesn’t do that to one another.”

“Nevertheless,” Oswald whispered.

“Have you heard nothing of the first family you had, before Melvin?” Ingway pressed.

“No,” Oswald said. Then he paused. “Hindel. He said my father was a man named Edgar.”

Ingway grinned. Just as he thought. “Would it surprise you to know that Edmund, the last king of Titania, had an older brother?”

Oswald said nothing.

“His name also happened to be Edgar. He was banished, all because he fell in love with a peasant girl. Still, they were happy together… until they were killed by bandits. But first, they had a son, the only survivor of the attack. Edmund suppressed what of this information he knew but I have— _had_ ears in the Titanian court, so I know this to be true.”

“Are you saying… Oswald is _that_ Edgar’s son? That he’s Titanian royalty?” Gwendolyn asked.

“Of a sort,” Ingway said. “Legitimacy is always an issue, but quibbles aside, yes. Oswald is the nephew of King Edmund and cousin to his son, Cornelius, the prince.”

“Cornelius!” Gwendolyn repeated.

Oswald stared at the floor for a moment, then abruptly turned his back on Ingway. “That means nothing to me. My place is here.” Gwendolyn reached out and took his hand. They laced their fingers, a tender but solid grip.

Ingway grinned. “I thought you might say that. Nevertheless, the knowledge was yours to have and I’ve given it to you. What you do with it from here is up to you.”

“Thank you,” Gwendolyn said, when it was clear Oswald had nothing more to say.

“Please, expect a visit from my sister—Velvet, and Cornelius soon. I think all of you have a lot to talk about.”

“What about you?” Gwendolyn asked.

“Oh, I have other obligations. But I would love to visit again when I can.”

“Please do,” she said with a broad, sincere smile. Yes, in spite of it all, she was a gentle soul, and it was no wonder a man as cold as Oswald would grow to love her so deeply. There were some things even Odin could not touch.

* * *

His last stop was the one he was most looking forward to, and the one he was most afraid of. He could not pretend that everything else meant anything if this went poorly.

Trying to sneak in seemed wrong, and something told him he wouldn’t need to. And so when he was stopped by the first paladin, he barely had time to say, “Pardon my intrusion. If I might—” before he was interrupted.

“Wait,” the paladin said. “You’re… Ingway, aren’t you? I would recognize that voice anywhere.”

It was usually a bit of a gamble what kind of results he would receive in saying “yes” to this question, but he took the chance and did so now.

The paladin beamed. “You saved my life during the rebellion. And the Queen’s.”

“I think she did a fine job of that herself,” Ingway said.

“True indeed. Still, we of Ringford do not forget our debts. You’re here to see the Queen, yes?”

Ingway tipped his head down, trying to hide the heat that bloomed in his cheeks. “If it pleases her.”

And like that, he was whisked away to the throne room. It was crowded, unsurprisingly, and Mercedes was deep in conversation with Matthew and some of her other advisors.

Ingway pressed his back against the wall, sliding along to find a better vantage point without being noticed. His eyes never left her face, which was serious and thoughtful in a way he had never seen before. He swelled with pride. Was it his imagination, or had she grown even more lovely since they’d last seen each other?

He’d never meant for any of that to happen. Well, he’d be a fool not to expect the Wise Men’s betrayal, but he thought he was prepared. Winding up trapped as a frog was not expected. Nor was meeting Mercedes, but it turned out they were just what each other needed at the time. And maybe still.

More than wanting her to break his curse, he wanted to see her succeed. Not just because she was Odin’s enemy and greatest threat, but because there was something about her. She did not have faith in herself, as much as she tried, but he never had any doubts.

And then, slowly, that confidence had grown into something more complex. He began to care for the little fairy queen. She had become a dear, dear friend, and it was obvious now that he had slowly been falling in love with her the whole time.

Ingway had learned long ago not to allow himself to want things. At first he couldn’t leave Mercedes because she was a means to an end. The feelings were an unwanted complication that developed along the way. As soon as she broke his curse, he’d left. It was for him, but for her too, and not merely because he was a disaster—she couldn’t rely on him forever. She needed to stand on her own, a trial by fire. And she’d come through better and stronger than anyone imagined. Anyone except him.

He wasn’t here to apologize. He was here to keep his promise.

“Ingway!”

The shriek pierced the chaos of the room, bringing the noise to a dead stop.

She had spotted him. Her face was absolutely radiant. He found himself taking a few steps towards her.

She flew at him—literally—and they crashed into one another, Ingway keeping his footing thanks to Mercedes’ lack of velocity. Had she always been this small and vulnerable? Well, perhaps not vulnerable the way she was about to squeeze the life out of him. “Ingway, is it really you?” she whispered into his ear.

“It’s really me.”

She pulled away, and he could see hot tears spilling down her cheeks. “I thought—I didn’t—”

“You fool,” he said, brushing a tear away with his thumb. “I said we’d meet again. And here we are, aren’t we?”

She gave him a watery smile, and he reflexively grinned in return.

“Are you here to stay this time?” she asked.

He blinked, taken aback. Somehow, that wasn’t a question he’d been prepared for. “I—is that what you want?”

“More than anything,” she said, her words quiet but thick with sincerity.

Everything inside him was telling him to push her away, say “no.” But why? In his mind he tore away the paper, smashed through the brick, freeing his own desire. He let himself want, and what he wanted was this—her. “Yes,” he said. “I am yours as long as you’ll have me.”

Mercedes hugged him again, tighter even than before, the tears falling faster now. “Forever, then. It’s a promise.”


End file.
